Death and Love
by MrDToad
Summary: Harry loves Ginny, goes to Azkaban, fights the final battle, and lives thereafter.


LOVE AND DEATH

DISCLAIMER: based on characters and situations that do not belong to me. No profit is being made and no disrespect is meant or intended.

After a companionable ride on the Hogwarts Express and a pleasant welcoming feast, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville were just into their pudding as Harry turned to Ginny.

"Ginny, we need to talk."

Ginny's smile disappeared. "You're not going to try to break up with me again." The statement was grim.

"No, I am not. We still need to talk about us, our past, present, and future."

"Is this just an excuse to find somewhere to snog?"

"Ginny, my love, you shouldn't give me ideas like that. Seriously, it might come up at some point in the conversation, but it isn't the primary goal of tonight's little discussion. We'll go to the seventh floor when we leave here."

"Okay, I guess." Ginny said uncertainly.

"You want some company?" Ron said.

"Thanks, mate, but this is a couples kind of thing. It's something Ginny and I have to do. I promise that it's nothing that calls for a chaperone."

"I didn't think anything like that. We'll just see you in the common room later, then."

Harry and Ginny walked hand in hand to the seventh floor and walked back and forth in front of the tapestry of trolls in tutus. When the door appeared in the opposite wall, Harry led Ginny through it. The room was small with two comfortable chairs in front of a homey fire. Harry sat Ginny down in one and took the other for himself.

"This is probably going to take a long time," Harry said, taking off his glasses and running a hand over his face. "I have a lot of issues to face with you and you have some to face with me. If at any time you have anything at all to say, please feel free to break in and add to the conversation."

"I thought you weren't breaking up with me."

"I'm not. I just think you ought to have a look at all the baggage that comes with 'Harry Potter'."

"Okay, then. What's first?"

"First, sweet, wonderful, gorgeous, Ginny, I love you. You are the most important thing in my life. I would gladly die for you."

Ginny frowned and started to say something. Harry held up his hand.

"Fortunately for both of us, I would rather live for you."

Ginny smiled and sat back in the chair and seemed to relax somewhat.

"In order for us to live, there are some wankers that have to be done away with." Harry smiled. "That isn't what I asked you here for tonight. What I really want to know is who do you love?"

"I love you, Harry," she said, frowning slightly. "Who else is here?"

"There's The-Boy-Who-Lived, The-boy-who-has-to-kill-Tom, the saviour of the wizarding world, the DA instructor, Ron's best friend, Molly's newest adopted son, Malfoy's best enemy, oh, the list goes on and on."

"At the end of the day, there's still my Harry who loves me," she said simply.

"Thank you. I can't think of a better answer than that. Now you have to understand what other baggage comes with your Harry."

Ginny smiled at the sound of 'your Harry' but leaned forward slightly and put her elbow on the arm of the chair closest to Harry as if not wanting to miss a word of what he was going to say.

He started with his earliest memory of green light and his mother screaming and Voldemort laughing. Ginny's smile changed to a more grim expression. He talked about a flying motorcycle and a big hairy man. He talked about the Dursleys and the cupboard under the stairs.

"You know, it wasn't until just a year ago that I remembered that 'Harry hunting' was probably my fault." Ginny raised an eyebrow. "It occurred to me that I had noticed early that as long as I was Dudley's quarry, his little gang didn't have any time to bully the other kids. I was fast enough that I even got away most of the time."

"I'm sorry, Harry."

"Don't ever be sorry, Gin. Hit me. Yell at me. Cry with me. Especially love me, but don't ever be sorry. That's the reason we're here tonight, remember that."

Harry talked on about spankings and going without dinners and new clothes and his Hogwarts letter and going to Diagon Alley with Hagrid. He talked about meeting the Weasley's at platform 9 3/4. Ginny interrupted here to say how polite Molly thought he was and how Ginny herself had first noticed him. He talked about the train and first friends and what a wonder that was. He talked about a troll on Halloween and how the Golden trio was born. He talked about the Sorcerer's stone and Quirrell and all he could remember about Ron's chess game and Hermione's excellent logic.

Harry talked about being locked in his room on Privet Drive and being rescued by a bunch of red heads in a flying car and flying the car with Ron to school when the way to the platform had been blocked. About here the room obliged the couple and subtly changed the chairs into a small sofa so they were sitting together holding hands. He talked about the chamber of secrets and she talked about the diary and the chamber of secrets until they both understood what the other had been doing and feeling that whole year. They each cried for the other and themselves as well.

Harry told her about blowing up his aunt and continued about Sirius and Remus and how he met each and almost had a permanent home with a real parent. Ginny put her head on his shoulder. He gloried in the World Cup and the wonders of living in the magical world. He spent a long time on the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and his hopes and fears. He told her he was sorry he hadn't asked her to the ball first, they might have both had a better time. He talked about the last task and Cedric dying. They cried together.

He told her about his visions from Voldemort and his detentions with Umbridge. They spoke together about her father being bitten by the snake and his stay in St. Mungo's. He talked about how the DA made his life fifth year worthwhile and she commented on how much she learned. He thanked her for going to the Ministry with him and being among his friends there. He talked about losing Sirius and they cried together again.

He talked about classes and potions and the Half-Blood prince. He told her the full prophesy and everything they knew about Horcruxes and Tom Riddle.

They cried together over Dumbledore.

He spoke about his occlumency and the books and progress he had made over the summer.

"The first thing I learned was to ground and center. Why no one ever told me anything about that I'll never know. After that, occlumency was easy and my magic is even stronger and more controllable."

"Harry, Mum taught me that before I could start primary school. I guess nobody believed you could have been left out of something so basic."

He told her about finding the last of the Horcruxes and how they destroyed them.

"I wouldn't have come back to school, at all, but all the Horcruxes are gone except for Nagini. We know where the snake is and we know how to get to it. We're just waiting for the right time to destroy it. Voldemort will be fully mortal at that point and I am training every day to be ready to face him. I want you as close as possible to me at all times. You are the one thing that will make it so I will have the power to destroy him."

"You can count on me, Harry," she said with determination.

He leaned in and kissed her gently.

"We have to get back to the common room, it's hours past curfew."

They hurried to the portrait of the fat lady. She winked at them as the portrait swung open. Ron was standing there with his arms crossed.

"Harry, Ginny's been crying," he said grimly.

Ginny stepped forward and hit him right in the middle of the chest.

"We've been crying together, you prat," she said. She turned back to Harry and pulled his head down and kissed him soundly. "Good night," she said throatily and turned and ran up the stairs to her dorm.

At that moment the portrait hole opened and Professor McGonagall and three aurors entered. The professor spoke.

"Where is your wand, Potter?"

Harry looked perplexed and started searching through his pockets. After going through all of them at least three times he looked up at her.

"I don't have it, Professor." He knew what was coming next. "Ron, make sure you get that old parchment I showed you and my extra cloak. It looks like I'll be gone for a while."

The aurors didn't hesitate. Two of them grabbed Harry and the four of them exited the common room.

"What's going on professor?" asked Ron.

"Michael Corner and Marietta Edgecomb were found dead in a third floor corridor. Potter's wand was found beside them."

"Harry's been with Ginny since dinner."

"Without other corroboration, that won't help him, I'm afraid," his Professor said.

In the morning, Ginny came skipping sown the dormitory steps without a care in the world and met Ron and Hermione in the common room looking very gloomy. "Who died?" she said, trying to be funny.

"Michael Corner and Marietta Edgecomb died," Ron said. "The aurors found Harry's wand on the floor beside them."

Ginny's eyes got wide. "Where's Harry?"

"I heard one of the aurors say Azkaban."

"But he was with me the whole time!"

"I know. I told McGonagall. She said it wouldn't be enough."

"I'm going to write Mum. She'll know what to do." Ginny disappeared up to the owlery.

"You didn't tell her that you already had owled your Mum."

"I know," Ron sighed. "It does give her something to do."

That night Ginny cried herself to sleep. Her time fell into a sort of rhythm. Write Mum. Go to class. Do Homework. Cry until she fell asleep. Weeks went by and Mrs. Weasley could give them no news. Ginny's eyes always looked like she had been crying. At first other guys would try to make her feel better. After the third bat bogey hex, no other guy would even speak to Ginny more than "pass the butter" at the house table.

It took the three aurors about an hour to march Harry out to the main gates of Hogwarts past the apparition wards, slide along apparate to the boat ramp at the mainland guard station and take the boat to Azkaban Island. Harry heard one of them say as they shut the door of his cell. "He didn't struggle at all. I guess he is guilty as charged. The dementors won't let him do any magic and the doors are warded anyway. He'll be dead in a month."

Only a few minutes later he could feel a dementor coming down the passageway. He established his ground and found his center and shut down his shields. He found the grounding exceptionally easy. It was if he found his way into the rock of the island itself. He could tell the dementor was there but it didn't even make the room any colder. He went through his pockets to see if there was anything he could use. He found the pocket knife Sirius had given him that he had all but destroyed in the hall of Mysteries. It still had a stub of a blade that was enough to score some lines on one of the stone blocks and start a calendar. September first was a good starting date. Harry noticed a few hours later that his window (up high on the wall and too small to climb through) did apparently look toward the east because the sun shone right into his cell and made a spot on the opposite wall. He crossed off September first. A little later someone shoved a jug of water and a bowl of porridge through a slot in the door. It wasn't great but it was breakfast. He didn't know when he would get water again so he only drank half and saved the rest for later. By the time he was hungry again he was so bored he would have welcomed a lecture from Professor Binns. He drank the rest of the water. When it started to get even darker than usual somebody shoved another jug of water and a bowl of thin stew through the door. He ate. It wasn't Hogwarts food, but it was more than he got sometimes at the Dursley's.

When the sun hit his window the second time, he crossed out September second and got to work. He did push ups, sit ups, jumping jacks. He found a ledge above the door and holding on by his finger tips, he did pull ups. He worked until he was tired and then he sat on his bed and meditated. Then he started all over again. By the time dinner came he knew he would need a plan just to stay sane. He worked himself tired again after dinner and was awake about the time his window lit up.

Every day started to go the same way. He crossed off the previous day on the calendar. He exercised. He meditated. He started working through all his memories. Every few days a guard would come and open the little view port in his door to make sure he was still alive. Harry made a point of waving and smiling each time it happened.

When his memories got to Hogwarts, he discovered that his memory had improved immensely. He could actually visualize each textbook and read over the complete text as if he had never seen it before. He organized his mind like a library so he could find any information he needed. By the fourth week he was glad he had read all the seventh year texts, because he was finally into some information he didn't almost know by heart. It was like watching from a pensieve. He could study his texts word for word. If he didn't understand he could go back and read it again. Anything he had ever read was available for his review.

One afternoon he ran his hands over the walls and door. The walls were just granite and solid as the island. The door was warded and would not allow Harry to touch it.

In a moment of inspiration, Harry walked to the wall opposite his bed and put his hands on the wall and closed his eyes. He reached down around his center and found his magic and let it flow to his hands and finger tips. After about an hour, he opened his eyes and he had sculpted the wall to look like a view of Hogwarts. He added his sculpture to his daily routine. By the end of the week he didn't need to touch the wall, he could just sit on his bed and point a finger to make the stone reshape itself. He even added magical animals around The castle that would move around the landscape. He sculpted all the walls of the cell except the part of the wall the guard could see when he opened the view port. He sculpted the posts on his bed until it looked like it was put together with vines and magical animals. Then he conjured a decent mattress and a couple of good blankets. He could at least sleep comfortably. As he did the bed, he found that he could put a sort of _twist_ on the finish and he was sure the things he made would be permanent. As soon as his dinner bowl of watery stew showed up, he transfigured it into a Hogwarts steak and kidney pie with steamed vegetables and a treacle tart for pudding. He even transfigured the water in his jug into pumpkin juice. It was like having a feast for no occasion. He cleaned up the dishes and then to annoy the guards, pushed all of them back through the slot in the door.

When it got dark, Harry lay down in his 'new' bed and relaxed with his two blankets. He wasn't tired even though he had exercised, he had revised until his brain was tired, he had even animated his stool and made it run around the cell. He closed his eyes and felt for his connection to Voldemort. It was still there and he knew he could travel the link if he wanted to. He backed off and looked for any other links he might find. He found a thin link that smelled like wildflowers. Could it be a link to Ginny? He flew down the link and could feel her crying.

"_Ginny? Are you crying?"_

_"Harry? How? Where are you?"_ Ginny sat up. The tears stopped.

_"I found a small mental link tied to me and followed it to you."_

_'Where are you?"_

_"Same place. Azkaban."_

_"You sound good. Are you okay?"_

_"I'm okay today. You are the first person I've talked to in seventy one days."_

_"I love you Harry."_

_"I love you Ginny. You have no idea how much I wanted to hear that."_

_"How are you surviving?"_

_"Working out, working hard, making plans, and dreaming of you."_

_"That's nice, but no one can seem to do anything for you."_

_"Then I'll have to do it myself."_

_"Can you break out by yourself?"_

_"No, but Tom can."_

_"You are going to his side?" _Ginny put both hands to her mouth.

_"Do you really believe that?"_

_"No, but what else can you do?"_

_"I can really piss him off."_

_"and…"_

_"And he will bust his butt to come kill me."_

_"You're going to die?_

_"No chance. Your boyfriend can carve granite with a finger and no wand."_

_"You can?"_

_"Well you know I'm not normal."_

_"Of course not, you're wonderful."_

_"I love you; please let everyone know that you've heard from me and that I've promised that I'm still going to kill Tom. Stand on a table in the great hall and shout as loud as you can if you have to. Leave the rest to me."_

_"Talk to me tomorrow?"_

_"Absolutely, you can't keep me away anymore."_

Harry had one more visit to make. He found his link to Voldemort. He slipped down the link and found himself in the dark lord's mind. He slipped off to one side and listened to the meeting that was going on.

"What do you hear from your source at Azkaban, Lucius?"

"The Potter brat has to be insane, my Lord."

"Why do you say that, my faithful servant?"

"Because the boy smiles and waves every time he opens the view port."

"What about the dementors?"

"None of them will even go down his corridor my lord."

"Do we have any reason or cause?"

"I've heard it said that they don't have anything to eat down there."

"That is almost definitive then. Tell me about the plans for your assault on Gringotts."

"Saturday morning at opening time nine o'clock, we will hit Diagon Alley with 100 Death eaters and Gringotts gates with fifty more. The project is perfectly planned for maximum terror and destruction."

"I am pleased, Lucius. You are leading, are you not?"

"I am, my lord."

"See that this project succeeds, Lucius."

"Yes, My Lord." Lucius kissed the hem of the dark lord's robe. Harry slipped quietly away and back to Azkaban.

Harry tried his other link and virtually ran down it to Ginny.

"_Ginny, are you asleep?"_

_"Uh, er, oh my. Harry? I was asleep."_

_"I wouldn't try to wake you up, but this is important."_

_"Okay, what do you need me to do?"_

_"You need to write a letter to Ragnok."_

_"The head of Gringotts? Are you crazy?"_

_"I can't so it's up to you."_

_"Okay, what do I need to write?"_

_"Have you got parchment and quill?"_

_"Yes. Go ahead."_

_"To Ragnok, Master Banker and Chief Goblin in council: Greetings. May you live a thousand years each one more profitable than the last._

_This is information directly from Harry Potter, your humble account holder. Voldemort's forces will attack Diagon Alley and Gringotts at opening time, 9:00 on Saturday. They will be led by Lucius Malfoy. Their plan calls for one hundred death eaters to attack Diagon Alley and Fifty more to attack the bank's main gates directly. I am prevented from being there to help, but I will supply information when I can"._

_"Seal that with wax and your own thumb print. Ragnok knows that you are important to me. Make a second copy and hand it to Professor McGonagall. It's all I can do. Just don't tell anybody else about this. Hopefully the order and/or the ministry can work with the goblins on this. That's what I would try to work out if I were still available."_

_"I'll get it to the owlery and McGonagall first thing in the morning. I still love you Harry, even if you wake me out of a really good dream."_

_"I'm sorry Gin."_

_"It was only about you, anyway." _They both laughed and went right off to sleep.

The next morning Ginny was up early and ran straight up to the owlery.

"Hedwig," she called. "You wonderful, smart, swift, beautiful messenger"

Hedwig flew directly to Ginny and fluffed herself up because she knew how important it was if she was complimented so much.

"This is from Harry, girl, and has to go to Ragnok at Gringotts" The owl just held out her leg and as soon as it was tied on, leaped out the window and was gone. Ginny ran straight to the Headmistress' office.

"Ice Mice," Ginny said. As soon as the gargoyle moved aside, she ran up the already moving stairs and knocked on the door.

"Come in, Miss Weasley," the headmistress said. As soon as the door opened, she continued, "We haven't heard a thing about Harry."

"I know. I have a message. It's important." Ginny held out the folded parchment.

McGonagall took the paper and unfolded it. Her eyes got big and her eyebrows disappeared into her hairline.

"Where did this come from?"

"I'm not at liberty to say. Ragnok at Gringotts got the first draft by first owl this morning, however."

"Why won't you tell me how you got this information?"

Ginny sat down and looked at the floor.

"Because I want to be able to do it again and I don't know for sure that I will. Harry is in Azkaban and this is the first night I haven't cried myself to sleep for seventy one days." Ginny smiled to herself because Harry had told her that and she hadn't kept count.

"Will you keep me apprised of any information you might receive?"

"I will."

"Then our business is done. I will see you in the Great Hall for breakfast."

"Yes ma'am." Ginny went down to the Great Hall. It was the first time in seventy one days that she felt like skipping.

"Who hit you with a cheering charm?" Ron grumbled.

"Nobody," Ginny smiled as she filled her plate with eggs and bacon and toast.

"That's more than you've eaten in weeks," Hermione said.

"Seventy one days." Ginny laughed.

"She's gone off," Ron said shaking his head.

"I think so too," Hermione replied.

All the professors found Miss Weasley much more attentive and responsive in class. Even the young men noticed the difference. It only took one bat bogey hex to discourage their attentions.

Harry was meditating after his exercises when he felt Voldemort probing his shields. He smiled and opened his eyes, pulling off his glasses, and let the dark lord see what he was seeing across the room.

Tom's elation grew and Harry knew he had succeeded in deceiving the deceiver himself. All Tom could get from Harry was the gray, fuzzy picture of Hogwarts with fuzzy animals wandering around the grounds. It convinced him better than any lie that Harry was destroyed mentally. Harry followed Tom back down the link and slipped off to one side just to watch.

"Bella, my sweet, attend me!"

"Yes, my lord." She knelt with her head bowed.

"Your plan has worked perfectly. Nott killed the two children and left Potter's wand, even though he had to use his own wand for the murder. Potter is still broken in mind and body. He is no longer a threat."

"Yes, my lord."

"I shall have to devise a proper reward for you."

"Your service is its own reward."

"Yes, I know."

Harry slipped away back to his daily routine. He had finished all his seventh year texts, and was positive that he could do the theory parts of his NEWTS this week if he were to take the exams. Maybe he could practice the practical parts wandlessly. He certainly had done quite a bit of magic in his cell already.

Harry worked hard. He knew he had little time. He had to be ready to kill Voldemort and his snake. He had to be ready to take his NEWTS. He had to be ready to have a normal life. It had only been a day since he talked to Ginny. It was time to talk to her again. He lay down and closed his eyes.

_"Harry?"_

_"Hi there, beautiful. I was hoping you'd be able to initiate contact."_

_"I got the mail delivered."_

_"Have any trouble?"_

_"McGonagall wanted to know how I got the information."_

_"What did you tell her?"_

_"That she didn't need to know."_

_"Way to go, girl!"_

_"Have you tried to issue my challenge to Voldemort yet?"_

_"I thought we needed to wait until Saturday."_

_"No wonder I love you so much. You're beautiful and super smart, too."_

_'Do you have a plan for beating Voldemort?"_

_"Yes, I do. I will win and be home with you. Oh, it was Nott that killed Michael and Marietta. He even used his own wand for the curses. You can tell McGonagall. I don't think it will do any good."_

_"Why not? She should be able to do something to free you."_

_"I don't think she can get the Ministry on our side that easily."_

_"Can you?"_

_"It's all part of the plan, my love, and it will be foolproof when it is finished."_

_"Finished?"_

_"I'm still working on it. It takes a little time to get everything in order."_

_"Want to talk about it?"_

_"Not yet. Isn't Saturday a Hogsmead trip?"_

_"Yes it is, but I don't have anybody to go with. My boyfriend is not available."_

_"Send an owl to Rita Skeeter. Do I need to elaborate?"_

_"Challenge Voldemort."_

_"Got it in one. I knew you were the smartest witch of our age."_

_"That's Hermione. I'm smartest in my year, though."_

_"I love you."_

_"I love you too, Harry. Um,er, I have a problem."_

_"Anything I can help with?"_

_"I don't know how to start this."_

_"Just spit it out, I can take it."_

_"Do we have a future, Harry?"_ Harry took a deep breath. He considered only a moment before he spoke.

_"Seventy three days ago, I hoped we had a future. Seventy two days ago, I wasn't so sure. Seventy one days ago I was positive that my only future was within these walls. Now, yes, my beautiful red-headed lovely we have all the future you want."_

_"It's up to me then?"_

_"I want to spend forever with you, but I can only ask. You have the right of refusal."_

_"What do you mean by forever?"_

_"I mean dating, marriage, children, grandchildren, old age, and the next life, forever and ever more."_

_"So I do have a part in this plan of yours?"_

_"All you have to do is agree to be with me and you will have the most important part of all. The hardest part of all. You have to wait for the trap to be sprung. Then we can fight the rest of the war shoulder to shoulder."_

_"I want to help you fight, Harry."_

_"What do you think you're doing? You faced McGonagall for me. You put yourself on the line with the Goblins. That is no small help. You are going to face Rita Skeeter on Saturday. How is that not help?"_

_"I guess that's help. I just want to fight!"_

_"It is fighting, just not hand-to-hand. Don't worry, you'll get your fill of that, I'm sure. When the fighting is over, we will have our future."_

_"What do you see in our future, Harry?"_

_"We'll finish school. After graduation you and I will get married. We'll have some kids and send them to Hogwarts and then we'll have grandchildren and spoil them rotten. Then we'll grow old together and go the next great adventure together. Do you have any additions or changes to suggest?"_

_"How many kids did you have in mind?"_

_"At least two, maybe four, maybe more."_

_"Sounds okay to me."_

_"Does that mean we are together?"_

_"In this and forever."_

_"Ginny, I love you."_ Harry sounded somehow more serious.

_"What's wrong, love."_

_"It's the last tooth in the trap, Ginny. How much love can a person have?"_

_"As much as they need, Harry."_

_"What does that mean?"_

_"It means that my Mum loves her parents and her brothers but also Dad and all my brothers and me and she has room for you, too. Love is family and friends and girlfriend and all the people that you want to love."_

_"Who do I love besides you?"_

_"How do you feel about my family, Harry? Are they important to you?"_

_"Every one of them, Ginny. Even Percy. They wouldn't be Weasleys without Percy."_

_'Then you love my family. Mum insists they are your family anyway. How about the Grangers?"_

_"Hermione is the closest thing I'll ever have to a sister and I have to care about her parents."_

_"How do you feel about Hogwarts staff? Sirius? Remus? Tonks?_

_"That's a lot of people to care about, Ginny."_

_"The caring and the love don't divide, Harry. They multiply. The love gets bigger and bigger and just holds all of them, and fills you up too. Every love is different and the same. It's how Mum explained it all to me. You love your parents a little different than you love your brothers or sisters and different than you love your friends. Of course there is your girlfriend and you love her the same and different all at the same time."_

_"When did you get so wise?'_

_"I finally got wise when I got together with you."_

_"Then maybe there's a chance for me to be wise too. This is exactly what I was looking for to make the trap perfect."_

_"Perfect?"_

He felt the love flow down the link into his heart. He felt his heart swell with joy.

_"This is the "power the dark lord knows not." This is the power that will destroy him and I know how to use it. Thank you Ginny. Do you know what I miss most besides you?"_

_"What, love"_

_"Knowing what time it is. All I know here is it's after dinner and before breakfast."_

_"It's almost four in the morning."_

_"Get some sleep. Tomorrow is classes and the next day is a big Saturday. Let me know when we have news. I love you."_

_"I never get tired of you saying that. Goodnight love."_

The next morning Ginny wrote a note for McGonagall. It explained Nott's involvement and that Harry's wand hadn't been used for the murders. At breakfast she walked to the head table and handed the note to the Headmistress. She nodded to the student and Ginny walked to her place at the Griffindor table.

"Ginny?" Hermione began, "are you okay? Have you just given up on Harry? You've been so cheerful the last few days."

"Oh, Harry's fine. I'll tell you about it when I can. It won't be today, I know."

"If there's anything you need, Ron and I will help. He has Harry's old piece of parchment and his extra cloak, if you know what I mean. The rest of his stuff was put in storage somewhere."

"It would be nice to have his extra cloak. I'd feel closer to him that way."

"I'll get it for you after dinner, Okay?"

"That would be perfect."

"Ron?"

"Yes, Hermione, love."

"Have you got a few minutes after lunch?"

"A whole free period. What do you need?"

"Meet me on the seventh floor. We have stuff we need to talk about."

"You're not mad at me are you?"

"No. Finish your breakfast. I think I have news."

Ron just nodded and went back to his knife and fork.

After morning classes and lunch, Ron and Hermione met in the hallway opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. When they had a doorway, they went in and sat down.

"You've found out what happened to Ginny," Ron smiled.

"I think I have. What do you know about personal bonds, Ron?"

"I know my Mum and Dad must have some kind of bond because they'll look at each other and smile just like they were talking. I know that Fred and George have a similar connection."

"I think Harry and Ginny have that kind of connection."

"I don't understand"

"They are truly in love, Ron."

"It would explain why Ginny's not crying anymore. She's doing better in her classes, too. McGonagall told me."

"Do you have any objections to Harry and Ginny being together?"

"Yeah, he's in Azkaban."

"Do you think he's guilty?"

"Nah, just too far away."

Hermione laughed, and Ron did too.

"Do you think he's okay?"  
"Ginny seems to think he is. I guess we just have to take her word for it, even if she won't talk about it."

That night Ginny was going to bed, she heard from Harry.

_"Ginny, my love, are you there?"_

_"Whenever you need me, love."_

_"I really needed to hear you and drop a word about the interview tomorrow."_

_"What do you want me to say?"_

_"Sweetheart, you are your own person and can speak your own mind. I would never presume to dictate any message to you. I do need Rita to believe that there should be some conspiracy to hide me away so I would be ready to meet Voldemort at Christmas time."_

_"Do you expect him to wait until Christmas?"_

_"Of course not. I expect him to come to me at least a month before. No later than December first."_

_"By Tuesday I'll be totally ready for him."_

_"Why Tuesday?"_

_"I have to plant a subliminal message in Tom's head."_

_"Subminimal?"_

_"Subliminal is the word but it means that I have to plant an idea in his head without his realizing it."_

_"What idea, Harry?"_

_"I need him to bring the snake when he comes. It has to die first."_

_"Thank you for telling me. It feels like you are really including me in your battle."_

_"I need you beside me forever. Sometimes it feels like I'm looking for stuff you can do for me, just so you can be included.It's so hard to be so far away."_

_"I'm just glad we have this link."_

_"See what you can find out about our link when you have time. If Hermione has figured it out already, she may already have done the whole thing." _Ginny laughed out loud.

_"I think she told Ron about it today. She told him to meet her in the Room of Requirement."_

_"Sounds like it, all right. You need some sleep if you're going to talk to Rita tomorrow. I love you."_

_"Good night, love."_

Ginny was up early on Saturday. Nine o'clock came and went. She didn't see many of the professors. About eleven she put some coins in her pocket to pick up a few sweets at Honeydukes and maybe a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. Just at noon as she was going into the Three Broomsticks to meet Rita Skeeter, a large grey eagle owl with a Gringotts medallion on a chain around its neck, dropped a large parchment envelope at her feet. She tucked it quickly into her pocket and walked pertly in to meet the reporter.

Ginny was smiling quietly to herself as she hurried back to the castle. She went straight to the seventh floor and walked back and forth thinking she wanted a quiet place to talk to Harry. When the door appeared and she opened it, the room was the same cozy sitting room she had shared with Harry so many days ago.

"_Harry?"_

_"You have good timing, Ginny. I was just meditating. How is your day?"_

_"You would be proud of me. I told Rita just enough that she is sure to see conspiracy in every true word. I'm sure she thinks that the Ministry is letting you write to me. 'Secure communication' is such a cover-all phrase. Even if she only prints exactly what I said, Tom is going to be so mad at the Ministry and you of course that he's going to run right out and do something ugly. I'm beginning to worry about you, though."_

_"I'll be okay. I can feel my magic getting stronger every day. Is there any news from Diagon Alley?"_

_"I have a letter from Gringotts. I didn't even open it. I'll read it to you now."_

She opened the letter and looked at the Gringotts Crest and just shook her head.

_"Greetings to Miss Ginevra Weasley:_

_Please convey to our mutual friend, Harry Potter, our most heartfelt thanks and praise for the perfect intelligence you forwarded to us. Our bowmen and pikemen killed seventy death eaters and captured fifty more. The most exceptional Order of the Phoenix killed eight and captured eighteen. The Ministry captured four. Our two companies of warriors suffered no casualties. The order had one wounded. The Ministry had one killed and two wounded. Altogether we find this a most satisfactory result. It might interest you to know that Lucius and Draco Malfoy are among the dead."_

_"That's good news. Not many casualties on our side. See if you can find out where the captured are going. It would only put the icing on the cake if they sent them all here. Why don't you dash up to McGonagall's office and see what you can find out. Show her the letter if you have to."_

_"Okay I'll go now."_

_"Ginny?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"I love you."_

Ginny ran toward the gargoyle. It was at times like these that she was glad she was a prefect and had the password. The gargoyle jumped aside and she ran up the stairs.

"Hi, professor."

"Miss Weasley. To what do I attribute your presence?"

"I had some news you might be interested in." Ginny handed her the letter from Gringotts. McGonagall's eyebrows went up. McGonagall read the letter.

"This is more news than I have as yet, although all the captured death eaters are being taken to Azkaban."

"Oh, good. Harry will be pleased."

"You are in communication with Mr. Potter?"

"That is more than I intended to reveal, professor."

"If you have a chance, let him know that I have tried to get him a hearing, but the Ministry is not being cooperative."

"Harry expected that. He has his own plans."

"Do we know what his plans are?"

"He holds his secrets even from me."

"How is he holding up, Miss Weasley?"

"Remarkably well, Headmistress. He has great confidence in his abilities."

"How is his mental state? That is what most worries us."

"He is strong and stable, ma'am. He is upbeat and it is almost like he is waiting for the punch line for a joke or something. I really don't want to explain any further because I don't want to give away any sensitive information."

"The fewer that have access, the fewer can give anything away. I understand perfectly. I wish there was more that we could do. For your additional information, we do have Nott under constant surveillance. He will not get a chance to hurt anyone else."

"That's good to hear, professor. I'll pass that along. It's almost dinner time; I guess I'll head for the Great Hall. "

Ginny left and stated directly for dinner. She was smiling to herself when her reverie was interrupted.

"The Weaselette wandering about all alone. What a chance to dispose of a blood traitor."

Ginny didn't hesitate. Her wand came out and she cried "Stupefy." Nott fell with a surprised look on his face.

Moody stepped out of his invisibility cloak. "Well done, Miss Weasley. Why so quick on the draw?"

"I have it on good authority that he is responsible for the deaths of two students. I am not going to be the third."

"And what is your authority?"

"I would rather not reveal my sources at this time."

"I thought that might be the answer. You may be excused."

"Thank you professor." Ginny continued on down to dinner. She sat down by Hermione.

"Hi, Ginny. Can we talk after dinner?"

"You and Ron, Seventh floor?"

"That would be good."

"We'll do it. Boy, I am hungry. I guess I skipped lunch." She filled her plate with roast chicken, mashed, and a big helping of steamed vegetables. In honor of Harry she had some treacle tart for pudding.

After dinner they went together to the seventh floor.

Harry was sitting on his bed with his legs crossed and his eyes closed. He heard the view port open. He opened his eyes and smiled and waved. The port closed with disgust. He found his link to Voldemort and slipped down it quietly. He stood off to the side in the dark lord's mind. Tom wasn't happy. He was furious. He had lost one hundred fifty death eaters in one battle. His elite minions had killed one apprentice auror.

Harry whispered, "Most of them are in Azkaban. Retrieve them. Azkaban is the weakness in the system. Kill Harry Potter. Take Nagini she can eat him when you're done." Harry slipped out and fled back to his own mind.

His bowl of stew had just slid through the door. With a wave of his hand he had a small dinner table with a lit candle. He put the stew on the table and considered for a moment. He waved his hand again and had Royal Worchester China with roast chicken and mashed and steamed vegetables. It was as good as Hogwarts ever was. He considered for a moment and had strawberry trifle with fresh strawberries. He knew Ginny liked it a lot. He transfigured the table into a tray and slid it through the slot in the door. Let them figure out where the Royal Worchester china came from. He laughed out loud. It would just give them more proof that he had gone off his nut. He retreated into his "library" and worked over his potions text. He would thank the Half Blood Prince for the marvelous information if it hadn't been Snape. He had no time for thoughts of hateful people. He wished he had the resources to brew some of the potions but he could do that after he was released from Azkaban, and that release was going to be on his terms. His plans had to be perfect. His preparations had to be perfect. By the axiom of the General, there still was no guarantee.

Harry went back down the link to Voldemort and stood off to one side and whispered the same things over again. Then he went home to bed.

He woke up in the middle of the night and did it again. Then He woke up just before dawn and did it again. Then breakfast came. It was thin gruel. He conjured another small table this time with a bud vase and a lily in it. He conjured more Royal Worchester china with eggs and bangers and chips and fried tomatoes and six pieces of toast.

While he was eating, a voice popped into his head.

_"Hi handsome. What are you doing today?"_

_"Having a wonderful breakfast. Why?"_

_"You made the front page."_

_"With the attack on Diagon Alley and I still made the front page?"_

_"You're below the fold, but it's still the front page."_

_"How did we do, then?"_

_"Couldn't be better. Totally Ministry conspiracy and all. The Christmas date in bold letters and everything."_

_"Thanks, Gin. I love you."_

After he finished breakfast, he spoke with Tom again. He came back to his morning workout. When he was tired, he went back down the link to visit again. He continued this schedule for three days. Each night before he went to sleep, Ginny called and they said good night.

The morning of the fourth day Harry went to visit Tom. First he stepped off to one side and listened.

"Saturday morning at eight exactly we will strike at Azkaban. We will release all those who are loyal to us. I will kill Potter and my Nagini will eat him. We will then execute all the aurors still alive."

Harry whispered, "Excellent, the snake will eat Potter and I will be free of him." Then he returned to his cell.

_"Ginny are you busy?"_

_"Never when you call, I'm just heading down to breakfast."_

_"It's Saturday. He's coming for me Saturday. I've got to ask you to tell no one. He's not planning to murder the aurors until after he kills me, so he won't kill any at all, since I don't plan on dying. I just found out and I told you even before I had a chance to think much about it."_

_"Thank you, Harry, for telling me. Do we know what time?"_

_"Eight o'clock. I love you."_

_"I just want to know when."_

_"I probably won't be able to talk to you until it's all over."_

_"I figured that out. I don't know if I will be thinking of you or praying for you."_

_"Both would be very nice, but if you have to make a choice, pray for me."_

_"I love you."_

_"I love you more."_

_"This is one fight we will never have, Harry."_

_"Yes, sweetheart. When a love is perfect, it cannot be quantified."_

_"Oh, shut it."_ they laughed together.

The next three days went slowly. Harry found new things to conjure for his two meals a day. He studied hard and worked on his magic. He had his final strike for Voldemort planned to the last twist. He listened to Voldemort plan the attack. He told Ginny that he loved her, and she loved him back..

Saturday morning, Harry ate his breakfast with toast and tea, and left the Royal Worchester china outside his door. At exactly eight o'clock the wards on his door fell and it swung open. He was clean, he was shaved, his clothes were clean. He walked down the corridor, up the three floors to the entry way and out into the sun for the first time in eighty three days. All the aurors stationed at the prison were kneeling in rows surrounded by death eaters. Voldemort was standing facing the door when Harry came out. Nagini was coiled in front of his feet. Harry stopped and stood in a comfortable position with his feet planted and his eyes shining.

"Hi there Tom."

"Potter, um you're supposed to be..."

"Brain dead, insane, already destroyed? Hardly, you stupid wanker. Oh, I'm sorry that was such a schoolboy thing to say."

Harry held out his left hand and Nagini exploded into broken bone and shredded flesh. Voldemort screamed with rage. Harry reached down the link to Ginny and let the love flow into his heart.

Harry held out his right hand. A shaft of white light sprang from his hand and impacted Voldemort in the center of his chest. His body slowly rose from the rock and started to shrink and shrivel. His red eyes changed to white and white light burst from his eyes and his nose and his mouth and his ears and then from the tips of his fingers. Everyone on the rock covered their head and ears from the wailing. As suddenly as it started, it stopped. Voldemort's body fell to the ground in a heap. The death eaters fell unconscious. Harry turned and freed the Aurors. He turned and looked up at the sun and smiled. With a wave of his hand he conjured a comfortable arm chair with ottoman and sat down in the sun.

The aurors bound the death eaters and put them in cells. They set out to reset the wards for the prison. One of them approached Harry.

"Is there anything I can do for you Mr. Potter?"

Harry smiled. "A cup of tea would be nice."

The auror hurried off and came back almost immediately with a cup of tea.

"Thank you very much." Harry said. The auror hurried off to his own duties.

_"Ginny. Are you there?"_

_"For you always, Harry."_

_"It's over. Tom's dead. I killed the snake first and then I destroyed him. Go tell McGonagall and talk to me when you're done."_

Several people walked up to Harry. Harry was chuckling to himself.

"Do you see that rat licking at the bird droppings on the rocks?"

"Yes."

"It just came out of Voldie's robes. I guess it's trying to get the bad taste out of its mouth."

The one in the lead smiled at Harry's observation and spoke.

"Mr. Potter. I am the head auror on the island. I have your file. You were sent here without a trial or even a statement on your own behalf. Would you be willing to submit to veritaserum now to clear yourself?"

"Of course, sir. I am always ready to tell the truth."

There was a gathering of three aurors to sit as judges and a scribe to copy the statements. A fifth auror brought a vial of clear liquid. Three drops were put on his tongue.

"What is your name?"

"Harry James Potter."

"You are accused of killing Michael Corner and Marietta Edgecomb. Did you kill these two students?"

"No I did not."

"Do you have any knowledge of who did kill the two students?"

"Yes, I do."

"What is his name?"

"Theodore Nott."

"Is there any other proof of this statement?

"He used his own wand even though he dropped mine at the scene. Priori Incantatem can be used."

"Where did you get this information?"

"I overheard Voldemort telling Bellatrix Lestrange."

"How did you overheat this conversation?"

"I have, er had a mental connection with Voldemort himself."

"Do you have any corroboration of this connection?"  
"Many members of the Order of the Phoenix are aware of the connection."

"Do you still have a mental connection with Voldemort?"

"I haven't tried to check. Let me try." Harry closed his eyes and tried to find the link to Voldemort. It was no where to be found. "Nope," he said, "the link is gone. I am happy to say that Voldemort is dead."

"What do you know about the condition of the death eaters?"

"If they were unredeemable, they should be dead with their master. If not they can swear an oath to all that is good and right and good for England and the magical poisoning they are suffering from will be quickly cured. Otherwise they will die within the next seventy two hours."

"You are responsible for this poisoning?"

"No. I am responsible for the cure. The dark mark linking them to old Tom would have killed them when he died if I hadn't postponed it with my own magic."

"I've heard enough. Give him the antidote." Harry was given the antidote.

"Mr. Potter, you are free to go."

"I wish I were, sir, but I have to speak to all your inmates or they will be dead by Tuesday morning. Please give me a piece of parchment and a quill and I'll write out the oath."

"_Ginny, I need some help."_

_"I'm here Harry. What do you need?"_

_"I've got to write out a magically binding oath to save the death eaters."_

_"I don't know why you want to save them. Never mind, I guess I do know after all. What do you want it to say?"_

_"I don't want it to say anything about the ministry, but I do want to say England. Something like I swear an oath to uphold all that is good and right and all that is good for England."_

_"Harry, write this down. I (say your name) on my life and my magic swear to adhere to and uphold the principles of good and right and pledge my allegiance to England and her security and best interests."_

_"I wish we could get the ministry to take such an oath. I wonder. Maybe we can. I'm probably going to be here for a couple of days. Talk to me anytime. I'm just sitting in the sun in my overstuffed chair with my ottoman. I figure I need a day or two off after putting down that rabid dog."_

_"You save more of the world and I'll see you when I can and talk to you whenever. I love you._

It took several hours to give the oath to all the Death eaters. Four of them died after taking the oath. Harry could not feel sorry for them. They had their chance and tried to lie to a magically binding oath.

The head auror approached Harry again. "Are you leaving soon?"

"I'm waiting."

"What for, may I ask, Mr. Potter?"

"I'm waiting for the Minister to bring my official release papers, sir. I don't feel like I can go anywhere until I have the official confirmation. There is the additional consideration that he may be aware of other sick people who need to come to me for the cure, if you know what I mean."

"I understand. I will try to expedite this as a request."

"Thank you sir. I and my friends thank you."

It started to cloud up and a misty rain began. Harry simply conjured an awning. He started looking at his parchment oath. As he held it between his hands, it started to stiffen and grow until it was a stone the size of a window. He turned and stood it beside his chair.

Somebody brought him some lunch on Royal Worchester china. It took nearly two hours for the head auror to return to Harry.

"The Minister is busy and can't come in person, Mr. Potter. Here, however are your release papers and a ministry statement detailing your status as a free person with no criminal record whatsoever."

"Thank you, sir. How do I get to the Mainland? Can I arrange for a boat or can I apparate?"  
"There's an apparition point marked plainly about fifty yards south." As I said, before, you're free to go."

Harry stood up and waved his wand over himself to make his clothes as presentable as possible. He walked to the apparition point and apparated to Hogwarts main gates. Then he marched up to the main doors and proceeded to climb the stairs to the Gargoyle at the entrance to the Headmistress' office.

_"Ginny? Are you available to greet the wandering hero?"_

_"You're here? Where? I have Binns; he won't even notice I'm not there."_

_"I'm standing here in front of McGonagall's gargoyle waiting for someone to let me in."_

_"I'll be there in two minutes."_

Ginny ran down the hall and jumped into Harry's arms. They stood and hugged for several minutes.

"We need to get upstairs." Ginny spoke the password and they went upstairs holding hands.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall," Harry said as soon as he stepped through the door.

"Mr. Potter," McGonagall spoke almost stiffly.

"You'll want this for your records," he said, sliding his folder from Azkaban across the table. "I would like the originals if you could make do with copies."

The Headmistress looked through the file and smiled. "Thank you for your attention to detail, Mr. Potter. Welcome back to Hogwarts. We will need to get some kind of explanation for the Order of what happened with Voldemort."

"I'll be happy to do that, professor. If we could put it off a few days until I can get settled in. My professors will want to check out my progress. I have studied all the seventh year texts to the end and worked out all the practical exercises, as well. I should be ready for NEWTS before the Christmas Holidays. I have other projects for the spring that I would like to discuss with you, when you have the time."

"What other projects, Mr. Potter?"

"I feel that my future depends on the education I get now. I know that I'm going to need such subjects as history, arithmancy, and ancient runes. If there is any way I could try to take the OWLS for the two I haven't taken yet and the NEWTS for all three with my class at the end of the year."

"I can talk with the professors and see what they think. I don't think there will be any problem if you are working at the level you indicate. I didn't think you were allowed any reading material at Azkaban. How did you manage?"

"It's apparently a by-product of my occlumency work, Professor. I seem to now have total recall of everything I have ever read. I don't know how fast I read from a paper book, but I can read the same book from my memory in a very short time. I suppose it wouldn't be amiss to re-read some of my texts to make sure I remember them correctly. If you have some time to spare, I also would like to investigate the possibility of becoming an animagus. I really wanted to do that before I met Voldemort, but I would still like to follow in my father's footsteps."

"I would be happy to work with you on animagus training. We will also work out some testing program to see how much your occlumency has improved your other skills. We can work on that tomorrow. It's time for dinner, now. Run along to the Great Hall. You'll want this." She took his wand out of drawer and handed it to him.

"Thank you, Professor." The two teens stood up and walked out the door and down the steps and dawdled on down to the Great Hall for dinner. They talked, but they laughed more and stopped just to hug fourteen or fifteen times.

They entered the great hall and almost until they got to the Griffindor table the hall became really silent. Then there was a grumble that grew to an uproar. The most commonly heard comment was, "What's he doing here!" Harry and Ginny sat down with Ron and Hermione. Professor McGonagall tapped her spoon on her glass, and quiet returned to the Great Hall.

"We are proud and happy to welcome Mr. Potter back to Hogwarts." A rumble including the sound of "Murderer," came from the crowd. McGonagall tapped her glass again for quiet.

"We have received a complete exoneration from the Ministry on Mr. Potter's behalf. Theodore Nott has been arrested and will be tried for the murders of Mr. Corner and Miss Edgecomb. Mr. Potter has also been credited with the death of Voldemort that occurred this morning. He is also responsible for the deaths of Voldemort's supporters and the possibility that those who didn't die outright with the dark lord can take an oath to truth and right and survive the war. I want all of you to welcome him back. Thank you." She sat down and the silence continued.

After about two minutes, Ernie McMillan stood up and walked over to Harry. He held out his hand and said, "It's good to have you back, Harry."

Harry smiled, "Thanks, Ernie. It's good to be back." From then until well after dinner, all the DA and nearly everybody else in the hall came by to wish Harry well.

Harry leaned over to Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, "Meet me on the seventh floor when we get away from here." They all nodded. When the Great Hall started to empty out, Harry took Ginny by the hand and started up to the seventh floor. After walking back and forth in front of the tapestry of trolls in tutus, the door appeared and the two couples walked in and sat both couples on the sofa in front of the fire. It was small enough to be cozy and big enough to be comfortable. The girls snuggled into the arms of the boys and Harry began to talk. The three friends did not ask many questions. Harry poured out his heart and they all cried together. He told them of his successes and they were proud of what he had accomplished. Hermione was only slightly offended that he had such a faculty for learning and was very proud that he had accomplished so much. He gave her the credit for his improvement. He gave Ron credit for his ability to plan so well and defeat Voldemort. Ginny got credit for explaining love and supplying him with the power to destroy Voldemort. They headed back to the common room well after curfew. The common room was full of people just waiting to shake Harry's hand and slap him on the back and flirt with him, whatever was appropriate. Ginny made sure that the flirting was kept to a minimum by her holding tightly onto Harry until she kissed him good night and he went up to his dorm. On Sunday, they all went to breakfast together. Harry just enjoyed his friends and being with people. After lunch they all went flying, except of course Hermione who sat in the bleachers with a book.

At dinner, Ginny looked Harry right in the eye. "Harry, we have to talk."

"I know," he replied. "We'll go to the seventh floor after dinner."

"Are we going to break up?" She looked uncertain.

"No," he said, "we just need to talk. I love you."

"That's the first time you've said that since you got back."

"Yes, that's true. I have been seriously remiss."

"Well, I love you, too. Let's go upstairs."

They got upstairs and walked into the room of requirement. As soon as they walked in and the door closed, Harry leaned down and kissed Ginny. It started slow and soft and deepened when their two tongues touched. Their hands tangled in each others hair. Then the hands explored the backs. Harry pulled away. He led her to the couch in front of a warm and friendly fire. They sat down together and Harry took both her hands and looked into her eyes.

"What do you want, Ginny Weasley?"

"I want you, Harry Potter."

"You've got me, Ginny. What do you want for you? What is your fondest dream?"

"Kids, Home, You."

"Look at it this way. Hermione is the smartest witch of her age Do you think she is going to be satisfied with being barefoot and pregnant? Do you think she is going to be satisfied with being a housewife? Ron is going to lose her if he tries to push her into that role. She wants a career and kids and home and husband. What do you want for you, Ginny?

She looked down at her feet. She looked sad. "I've always wanted to be a healer, not a mediwitch, but a full healer."

"Good. We can do that."

"It's too expensive. It takes too long. I'm not smart enough."

"First of all, you are smart enough to do anything you want to do. You know that as well as I do. You and I will be together for a lot of years and I want you to be happy. Time is not an issue. Money is not an issue. Do you have any other excuses?"

"You'd let me be a healer?" Ginny said quietly.

"If it's what you want, I'll take you to work, I'll help you study, I'll pay for the whole thing and love you every minute you're not busy. I won't let you be a healer; I'll make you be a healer."

"So if I make a healer, what do you want, Harry?"

"I guess I'm looking forward to being an Auror, then maybe politics, then maybe teaching. Of course, I'm looking forward to being married to you forever, you know."

"When are you planning this marriage?"  
"I thought about the time you finish Hogwarts. Then we can settle down between our workplaces and proceed to make our life together."

"What about…"

"Sex, you mean?"

"Well, yeah."

"This is kind of hard. If I say something you have a problem with, please say something. Remus gave me 'the talk' when I was fourteen. It was awkward and more information than I ever wanted to have. With all the organizing of my memories, I had to go over it again. I'm sure your mum gave you a similar 'talk' at some point."

"She has, actually every time I get a new boyfriend, and just before I start school each fall, including when I was eleven."

"I guess we both know that we have enough information to find ourselves in sexual situations. We also have enough information to stay out of those same situations." Ginny started to say something. Harry just held up his hand. "Yes, Ginny, I want to have sex with you. I want you to want it just as bad as I do. I am willing, no not willing, I am anxious to wait until we can do it right. We already have a bond that in some lights makes us married already." Ginny looked surprised. "Yes, my love, I looked it up. We are connected more closely than any muggle couple and closer than any wizarding couple who aren't officially bonded and married already."

"I looked it up too, Harry. According to Wizarding law in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Holland, we are married."

"That may be true, Gin, but until your dad gives you away, or whatever happens in the wizarding world at a wedding, I have to play nice so your brothers will not kill me. I have to be the son-in-law your mum wants so she won't kill me. Then there's the most important person in the world. I am going to wait because I love you, and I want you to love me. I want to have a perfect wedding and that includes the wedding night. It doesn't mean we can't snog when we want to. It just means that I'm unwilling to go beyond that. How do you feel about what I have just said?"

"I think you are wonderful, Harry, but what happens if we get carried away?"

"We just have to keep each other on track. I take care of you and you take care of me."

"As long as I can snog you when you need it, I'll agree to this."

"If you need it too, I'm for it. I love you, you know."

"I know and I love you too."

They held each other on the couch just enjoying the closeness until it was time to go up to the common room. At the bottom of the stairs leading to the dorms, they kissed good night and went up to their beds.

_"Harry?"_

_"Yes, love. I thought we had talked a lot tonight."_

_"I just wanted to ask what kind of stuff Remus told you when he gave you 'the talk'."_

_"There was the basic what goes where stuff. Then he told me that you would let me know if and where you wanted me to touch you. Then he explained stuff about how guys are faster than girls and the guy needed to touch and caress and find the way to show you how much you mean to me._

_"Did he really talk about you and me like that?"_

_"His talk was a lot more general, but it is only about you and me now. I'd have to think about the talk a lot more or else you can just help me out on the wedding night."_

_"That would be best, I guess."_

_"What did your mum talk to you about?"_

_"She started with the same kind of what goes where stuff."_

_"That is kind of basic I guess."_

_"Then she talked about the only thing on blokes' minds was to get in my knickers. She didn't say much about first times or wedding nights except that first times hurt."_

_"Yeah, Remus said something about that."_

_"She did mention that a girl had to be careful of wandering hands. I have slapped a hand or two in the last couple of years."_

_"I promise my hands won't wander."_

_"Except where I want them to, I hope."_

_"All right, but not too far too soon."_

_"I'll agree to that."_

_"Goodnight, Love._

_"Goodnight."_

Monday was just another school day. The professors were pleased with Harry's advanced skills. He answered every question in every class. Hermione was torn between being offended that Harry seemed to be the best student in class and being proud of her friend. He produced a perfect potion for Professor Slughorn. After dinner they all went back to the common room and sat together and finished up homework assigned during the day. Hermione looked over Harry's transfiguration essay and complimented him on his improvement.

Tuesday dawned clear and bright. Harry met Ginny in the common room and they walked down to breakfast together. Halfway through eating, an eagle owl with a ministry medallion landed on the table by McGonagall. She read the letter from the Ministry and stood up and tapped her glass.

"Classes will be cancelled this afternoon. There will be an assembly in the Great Hall at two o'clock. Mr. Potter will be on the stage. All interested students are invited to attend."

Morning classes seemed to crawl by, but lunch came quickly and Harry and Ginny walked outside for an hour. They held hands. They even traded kisses. They talked of classes and the Burrow and the thrill of flying.

"What do you think is going to happen this afternoon?"

"I think we will have press and I will probably let myself be the ministry's poster boy simply because I can without any effort on my part."

"You mean that you're going to turn into a ministry man?"

"I'm going to try to turn it into 'Harry's ministry" but that is going to take a long and careful work. We want freedom, equality, and opportunity for all. Somehow we'll have to drag the ministry into the twenty-first century, kicking and screaming if necessary."

"And how are you going to do that?"

"I have no idea, my love, but it is an heroic effort, is it not?"

"Ah, Harry, you're ever my hero." They laughed together, and turned to go back to the Great Hall.

The Great Hall was filled with chairs instead of tables. Ginny sat near the front with Ron and Hermione and many of Harry's friends. The front rows seemed to be full of reporters and photographers. The stage was set up with a number of chairs. The faculty of Hogwarts was on one side and as the chairs filled up, it was clear that the Ministry filled up the other side. At two o'clock exactly, the Minister stood up.

"We wish to welcome the press, and all gentle witches and wizards, and all our students. We are here to announce the freedom of the Wizarding World from the fear an oppression of Voldemort and his minions. He was destroyed by our own Harry Potter on Saturday last. I call on that young man to come forward now."

Harry stepped up to the podium with the Minister.

"I am pleased to award Harry Potter the Order of Merlin First Class for his selfless service to the Wizarding World."

The applause was loud and raucous. Everyone stood up and it was definitely a standing ovation. The Minister held up his hands. As the applause died down, The Minister sat down leaving Harry at the podium.

"Thank you, Minister, and you, ladies and gentlemen, for your kind welcome. I stand here a simple student, who through learning and diligence of my own, my friends and my teachers, was able to fulfill a prophecy made nearly eighteen years ago."

A giant eagle owl with a royal crest around its neck, landed in front of Headmistress McGonagall. She removed the letter and beckoned to Harry. Harry bent over so she could speak to him quietly.

"You have been invited to tea with the Queen on Wednesday and an investiture on Friday."

He turned to the crowd who were trying to hear what was going on.

"Since I have just been informed that I would be expected to have tea with the Queen tomorrow, a decent respect for the royal authority requires that I save any explanations of my encounter with the forces of darkness until after I have had the chance to offer them to the Queen. I do wish to thank my friends and professors for all their contributions to my efforts on behalf of England and her citizens." Harry sat down to another standing ovation. The hall started to clear out and the reporters mobbed Harry. All he would do was hold up his hand and say "No comment at this time." He fled the Great Hall with Ginny and his friends. He took Ginny by the hand and went to McGonagall's office. They entered and sat down.

"I'm concerned about what I'm supposed to wear to meet the Queen and can I take someone with?"

"We can solve that easily." She handed Harry the letter. It did say that he was welcome to bring someone.

"I can give you leave to go in to the village. Gladrags Wizardwear will have anything you need for your appearances in high society."

"Ginny, I need you to come with me for my meetings with the Queen. Will you please come to the village with me so I can outfit both of us for these outings? It is important to me, and I need your advice on wardrobe."

"I would love to come, Harry, as long as you don't spend too much on me."

"That's a promise. May we go now, Professor?"

McGonagall nodded and smiled and the pair headed off to the village.

They walked into the shop and the assistant greeted them.

"What may I do for you?"

"I have been invited to tea with the Queen and an investiture on Friday. We need appropriate clothes for such events."

"And I'm the empress of China," she said. "You're just here to skive off school for the afternoon and aren't really buying anything."

"May I speak to the owner or manager, please?" Harry said quietly.

"Oh, all right," the assistant said and flounced off into the back room. In a minute, the manager came out a minute later.

"Is there something the matter?" the manager said.

"Oh, no," Harry said quietly, producing the letter on the Royal stationary. "I have been invited to tea with the Queen and an investiture on Friday. We need your expertise to choose appropriate clothes for such events. We are just teenagers, after all and you would have the experience to advise us best."

Ginny squeezed his hand and smiled. He had said just the right thing.

Ginny's outfits came first. She tried on several day outfits and Harry liked a business like ladies suit in a medium green that set off her coloring. It made her look mature, but not necessarily older. Then she tried on several evening dresses in muggle styles. There just wasn't one perfect until she found a black silk and velvet one in a classic style. Harry had an idea that would make it perfect. After Ginny's choices, Harry's weren't so critical. He got a business suit for tea and a nice tuxedo for the investiture. Then he picked out a complete new wardrobe to mask what he was spending on Ginny's outfits. He signed the receipts to have the amount taken from his Gringotts account. His adjustments were made almost immediately and they stopped at the Three Broomsticks before they went back to the school. Harry excused himself to go to the loo and slipped out the back door and ran to the little jewelry store. After he made his purchase, he put it in his pocket and ran back to the back door of the Three Broomsticks and was sitting down before Ginny got anxious. They picked up their purchases and headed back to the castle.

Wednesday about two o'clock Harry and Ginny walked down to the main gates and Harry side-a-long apparated with Ginny to an alley close to Windsor Castle. As they stepped out of the alley, a chauffer opened the door of a limousine and ushered them inside. They were taken to a side entrance and guided to a secretary's office. The secretary explained the procedures and protocols to the two teenagers. Then they went in to meet the Queen. Harry bowed correctly and Ginny did a perfect curtsey. It was a pleasant hour. Harry told the Queen everything she asked and found she was pleased to find out that she was told the whole story before the press was informed. It raised Harry in her estimation. They were driven back to the corner where they were picked up and apparated back to Hogwarts.

"I'm sorry."

"What for? I had a great time."

"I forgot to tell you how brilliant you looked today. You were wonderful at tea as well."

"I hardly said anything."

"Your 'anything' was truly eloquent."

Thursday and Friday slipped by slowly. Harry's only bright point was his perfect potion in class on Friday. After dinner on Friday, Harry showered, shaved with his wand and dressed in his tuxedo. He decided on his dress cloak with the silver clasp as his concession to being a wizard, after all. Then he went down to the common room to wait for Ginny. She came down the stairs in the black dress. It was perfect. She was perfect.

"Sweetheart, you look wonderful." Then he looked perplexed. Then he smiled. "Something is missing, but I know what it is." He took the strand of pearls he had gotten at the jewelers, out of his pocket. She turned and he put it around her neck and fastened it. "Now let me look." She turned around to give him a better look. "Now the outfit is perfect."

She checked herself in the mirror. It did make the outfit complete. All the girls were looking at her with open envy. All the boys were looking at Harry with much the same emotion.

They left Hogwarts in the same manner as before and were picked up by the limousine in the same place as before and were taken to the same door and stopped by to see the same secretary. The secretary explained the procedure. It surprised Harry to find out he was the only person directly honored at this function. It was a large ball. The men were generally dressed like Harry in tuxedos and the ladies were dressed in gowns, plain and fancy. Ginny's was perfect in its simple lines and rich fabric. The pearls set it off to perfection. Harry was surprised when they were announced as "Lord Harry Potter and Miss Ginevra Weasley."

_"I didn't know you were a lord, Harry."_

_"It's a surprise to me, too. I'll have to investigate on Monday. I can owl Gringotts. They'll have all the title stuff. You're not going to hate me if I'm a lord, are you?"_

_"I'd love you if they made you king. You're still my Harry. I won't let you go so easy."_

_"When you become Lady Potter you'll have some duties you have pay attention to."_

_"You'll just have to help me with all that."_

They danced a dance or two, they had a soft drink. Then the Queen was announced and proceeded to sit the large chair on the dais. A voice announced "Lord Harry Potter" and Harry proceeded to the front.

The Queen started speaking, "For exceptional bravery above and beyond the call of duty and service to Queen and country including life threatening risk to himself in the neutralizing of a major threat to life and security in the British Isles I award you this Victoria Cross." She hung a ribbon with a medal around his neck. She continued, "Lord Potter, please kneel." Harry did as he was told, The Queen was handed a sword. She tapped him on each shoulder. "Rise, Sir Harry, Knight Commander of the British Empire."

He stood and bowing as he had been instructed returned to his place beside Ginny.

_"Please don't tease me over this."_

_"But it is such a good tease."_

_"It makes me so uncomfortable to be singled out. I know I'll get it all after the Prophet gets it in the morning. It would just help me if I could count on you for a hand to hold and some comfort in my misery."_

_"I'll stand by you, Harry."_

_"Thank you, Ginny."_

The Queen sat for a while and the orchestra played. Harry danced with Ginny a few times and the crowd cycled by where they stood to shake his hand and congratulate him on his honors.

The Queen left and even though the party looked like it would go on for a long time, Harry and Ginny slipped out and were chauffeured to their apparition point and Harry apparated them back to Hogwarts. Harry did look handsome in his tuxedo with his ribbons and medals.

Filch met them as they came in the front door. "I have detentions for both of you outside after hours."

Harry pulled a parchment from his pocket and waved it at the caretaker.

"Professor McGonagall gave us permission to be out late since we were expected by the Queen."

"And I'm the Emperor of Mongolia, I presume." He took the parchment and read it. Then he just grunted and tossed it back to Harry and stomped off.

"I just love it when I'm not in any trouble," Harry laughed. Ginny smiled and hugged him close as they made their way up to the common room.

The next day Harry sent off a letter to Gringotts. He addressed it to the bank manager since he did not know the name of his account manager.

"Dear Master Ragnok:

May your fortunes grow and your accounts always balance.

It has come to my attention that I may have or be able to access one or more titles in the Wizarding world. I would like you to please send me in as secure a manner as is practical an accounting of my vaults, estates, properties, and other possessions, titles, or articles that I need to know about. I look forward to expressing my astonishment and good will on your management of these for me and our continued profitable business arrangements. Thank you very much.

Sir Harry Potter, VC, OM, KCOBE"

Harry had thrown himself into his studies and was rapidly finishing up his revisions for his NEWTS when Professor McGonagall asked to meet him in the transfiguration classroom after dinner nearly a week later. He took Ginny by the hand and made his way quickly to the door. He knocked and a gruff voice invited him in.

"I see that you have brought Lady Potter as well," a very well-dressed goblin said. "I know the banns have not been read or the contracts signed, but the bond you share is evident to any goblin worthy of manager status."

Harry just nodded in agreement. The desk had several piles of parchment. There were a total of six goblins, four of which were evidently guards.

"We'll need a few drops of your blood, Lord Potter." Harry just nodded.

Harry used a small cutting hex on his finger and droplets fell on the parchment indicated in the appropriate places. A quick healing charm and the parchment changed to green and back to white.

The chief goblin melted a dollop of wax and sealed it with a metal seal that glowed white and then returned to its previous bronze finish. He duplicated the parchment and two copies vanished. He held out the last to Harry.

"This determination of inheritance is filed with the ministry and the permanent records storage at the bank." The goblin laid three signet rings on the table and three different gold keys. "Your official title as of this date is Sir Harry Lord Baron Black-Griffindor-Potter, Victoria Cross, Order of Merlin First Class, Knight Commander of the British Empire. The last part is of course not usually used in conversation and just abbreviated in signing official documents. I listed your titles or surnames in alphabetical order since that is the most common way for goblins to do such things. These are copies of your account summaries and inventories. Is there anything else I can do for you, Lord Baron?"

Harry bowed to the goblin who looked perplexed for a moment. Wizards did not usually bow to goblins.

"I want to thank you for taking the time from your busy schedule to come talk to me. I understand now why you were assigned this task and please convey my utmost thanks and respect to the High Council for sending such a dignitary to bring a few papers at my request. May your time and your fortune multiply and I look forward to seeking your guidance in future times should you find other time to handle more weighty problems." Harry bowed again and Ginny delivered a perfect curtsey.

When the goblins were gone, the teenagers stood in the transfigurations classroom. Ginny turned to Harry questioningly.

"The goblins wouldn't have sent anyone with fewer titles than the wizard they were visiting. It just isn't done. Oh, and by the way, my NEWTS will be over next week. Shall we post the banns, then?"

"What do you mean, Harry?" Harry went down on one knee.

"I don't have the engagement ring yet, Ginny, but will you marry me?"

Ginny knelt in front of Harry and hugged him close. She whispered in his ear, "Yes, of course, silly."

Harry stood up and pulled her up to him and held her close. "Do you know who you are marrying?"

"I am marrying my Harry who spent ten years of his life in the cupboard under the stairs and needs me and the family and all the love I can give him."

"What about the 'Lord Baron Sir Harry' and the money and stuff?"

"That's just not important to me. We'll deal with that together, or ignore it completely, whatever you want. You can be an auror and I can be a healer and our kids can be whatever they want. We can make our own living if we have to. I'm not concerned."

"That's true. An auror in training makes very little and a healer in training makes about the same, but we'll get by on those salaries, or not, it doesn't matter really. We have some property so we'll have a place to live. I haven't looked so I don't know where yet. We could work it out over the summer."

"We're going to have a summer. I'll have some summer work before my seventh year."

"I can help you with that if you need any. I heard from the ministry. All I have to do is pass my NEWTS and I start auror training in July."

"How are we going to get together if you are in training?"

"Maybe your mum will let me stay at the Burrow for a while until we can get our place fixed up. Then I can come home each night to you."

"Harry, that's the best thing I could hear. I can love your coming home each night to me. Mum will love to have you stay at the Burrow."

"That reminds me. Are you going to send an owl, or should I make arrangements to go make the announcement in person?"

"I'll owl mum and let her know that you have asked and I have agreed, but that we both feel that we need their blessing so we'll be doing that when we get home for the summer."

"That sounds good to me. Let's head up to the common room. You can go over these stacks of parchment with me and we can see what we own."

Harry gathered up the parchments and put them in his bag and put the signets and the keys in his pocket.

Ginny ran up to the owlery to owl her mum. When she got back, Harry had staked out a quiet corner in the common room and they looked at all the lists of things and investments and properties that the goblins had left. Harry left the common room and stored the paperwork in the bottom of his trunk. Then he returned and they did essays and some revisions until time for bed. They kissed good night and trudged up to their respective dorms.

_"Good night, Ginny"_

_"Good night, Harry."_

Harry took the NEWTS for his regular classes and the OWLS for arithmancy and ancient runes just before Christmas break. The Golden Trio spent the holiday at the burrow and Harry spent most of his time with Ginny as Ron spent with Hermione. He scored O's on his OWLS and O's and E's on his NEWTS.

The end of the year preparations went smoothly. Harry and Ron and Hermione revised together and when the time for their NEWTS came, they were ready. Harry came out of each examination feeling better than ever. His potion was perfect, he answered each question completely. There were a few that he had some doubt about but he was sure of the answer he put down.

By the time the lower years were finished with their end of year exams and fifth years had finished their OWLs, Professor McGonagall was handing out NEWT scores. Ron passed all his. Harry finished with all O's in History, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. Hermione had all O's, of course.

The ride back to King's Cross was quiet and subdued. The lower years were rowdy but the noise didn't really penetrate into the compartment Harry shared with his friends.

"It's kind of sad, really. This is the last time we'll ride the Hogwarts Express. I remember saying 'Ron Weasley, and you are?' It doesn't seem that long ago."

"It just doesn't seem like we could ever have been that young and clueless."

"We're grownups then?"

"Probably not, but we need to pass for grownups, though." Harry laughed.

Ginny hugged his arm and cuddled into it, smiling.

Kings Cross was a madhouse. It was even busier than usual for the seventh years because they were trading addresses and getting hugs and saying good bye. Harry must have promised fifty people to write. He was thinking that Hedwig would be a tired owl all the time, if he had to keep up such a correspondence.

He met with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and collected a wonderful hug. Molly made sure he was coming home with them. They all collected in an alley outside the station and apparated to the Burrow from there.

After dinner, as everyone was leaving the table, Mr. Weasley spoke to Harry. "May I have a word, Harry?"

"Sure Mr. Weasley, what do you need?" Harry sat back down, facing Ginny's father across the table.

"What are your intentions toward my daughter?" Harry smiled. He knew the answer on this test.

"My intentions are strictly honorable, sir. I have asked her to marry me, but I haven't yet given her a ring. I feel that I need your blessing before I take that step." Molly smiled, Arthur grinned.

"When are you planning on getting married?"

"It will be at the end of next school year. I know that I have to get through auror training and I know that it can take three years, but I'm sure I can test out of at least part of that. I have already been notified that training starts the first of July."

"What is Ginny going to be doing while you're an auror?"

"She told me she wanted to go into healing."

"She'll be a mediwitch, then."  
"No, sir, she wants to be a full healer and I promised her I would make it happen if that was what she wanted."

"I can see that you have really thought this out and talked with each other." He looked at Molly and she nodded and smiled. "We're more than happy to give you our permission and blessing, Harry."

"Thank you. Tomorrow I'll have to run off to Diagon Alley. I have something I need to pick up. I hope that won't be a problem."

"No problem at all, Harry. Thank you for letting us know where you'll be."

In the morning, Harry showered and shaved and dressed in his best everyday robes and headed downstairs. He thought he was the first one up, but Molly was waiting for him in the kitchen. "Sit down, please."

He sat down and she put a plate of eggs, sausage, and toast in front of him and a big goblet of pumpkin juice and sat down opposite.

"Don't go overboard on a ring, Harry." Molly looked down at the table. "I don't know how to say this. The Weasleys and the Prewetts are the same kind of people. They are old pureblood families, but they haven't been lords or barons. We go back to a long line of loyal retainers. I'm not upset that Ginny will be nobility. I'm just saying that she's not used to a lot of jewelry. The pearls you gave her are more expensive than my whole jewelry box."

"I think I can find something tasteful, Mrs. Weasley. I promise I won't go overboard and spend a lot of money." Harry smiled. For once it was nice to know something other people didn't know.

Harry walked outside and apparated to Diagon Alley. He went straight to Gringotts. He looked around for a minute or two and spotted Griphook. He walked over and bowed to the goblin.

"Griphook, you were kind enough to show me to my trust vault the first time I was ever here. Would you have the time to show me to the Potter Family Vault today? There is an item of jewelry in the inventory that I need to retrieve."

The goblin bowed back. He looked rather quizzically at Harry.

"Lord Potter, wouldn't you be more comfortable with a goblin of more standing or rank?"

"Griphook, you were polite and businesslike with me when I was only eleven. You had no cause to help me like you did. If I let you help me today will it help your status or hurt it?"

"It will of course help my status, My Lord."

"Then it suits me to ask for your help, sir goblin." Griphook smiled his most polite smile and led Harry to the carts.

The cart stopped at vault number 11. Griphook took the offered key and opened the door. Harry stepped in and shook his head. The vault was about the size of the great hall at Hogwarts. It had more stuff than a department store.

"Griphook, is there anyway to find a particular thing in here?"

"There is a list by the door to show locations in general."

Harry looked and found where the jewelry boxes were located. He walked directly to the area and counted seventeen boxes. Only three were labeled 'rings'. The item he was looking for was in the third box. He recognized it from pictures he had of his mother. It was yellow and rose gold with a center ruby and small diamonds all around. The ruby was square cut and didn't look small. There were twelve diamonds around the center ruby. He had only promised not to spend much money. The ring was beautiful and the antique filigree mounting was truly unique. Molly would just have to suck it up and let Ginny have it.

Harry thanked Griphook and left the bank. He apparated directly outside the Burrow. He knocked on the kitchen door and smiled at Ron when he opened the door. He walked straight over to Ginny who was sitting at the table with a sandwich and a cup of tea. He went down on one knee.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, I have secured the blessing of your parents. Will you marry me?"

She slid off her chair and knelt with him. "Yes, Harry I will."

He held out the ring as she raised her left hand and he slipped it on her ring finger. She knelt there holding her left hand in her right looking at the ring.

"That's quite a ring, Harry," Molly said quietly. "It must have cost a great deal."

"It's a family ring, Mrs. Weasley. It didn't cost me anything at all. I just visited the Potter family Vault. I could have picked a more expensive looking one, but I thought Ginny would like this one best."

"All right then. I approve. It is very beautiful."

Ginny jumped up and ran to find Hermione to show her the ring.

"It was my great grandmother's engagement ring, Mrs. Weasley, at least that was what the tag in the box said. That's why I had to go to the bank. There's a lot of stuff in the family vaults."

"What do you mean by 'stuff', Harry?"

"There are three boxes just of rings. I must have looked at a hundred or more before I made the decision. There were big rings and bigger rings. That was the only one I felt that really fit Ginny. If I had gone to buy one, it wouldn't be nearly so fancy, I love the antique filigree and I thought it fit right in with the idea that she and I are creating a family of our own to link to a long wizarding line both past and future."

"When were you going to tell me about it, Harry?"

"As soon as you got back downstairs, sweetheart," Harry said without even turning around.

"Good save," Ginny said smiling.

"Yeah, maybe."

Harry and Ginny went into the lounge arm in arm and settled down on the couch together. They were still sitting there after everyone else had gone to bed.

"Do I need to come upstairs with you and give you your engagement present?"

"Ginny, I told you that we could wait for the wedding and I am convinced that it is still the best idea." He held up his hand when she started to speak. "I know that I am in for a year of cold showers at unscheduled hours of the day. If your hormones are raging like mine, we may have to take turns in the shower."

"I wanted to know if the ring was a promise or a purchase, Harry." Ginny looked down at her shoes.

"There isn't enough money in the whole world to purchase one minute of your time. You're much too valuable a person. That ring is a token that I intend to share my whole life with you. I don't want a person as a possession. I want a life partner, with emphasis on partner. I chose that ring to connect you to me and my family. I'm already connected to you and your family by the love I feel coming down our link. I hope I send back as much as I receive."

"According to some wizarding traditions, Harry, the betrothed husband immediately has certain rights to his fiancé."

"Then according to our agreement made earlier, I choose to extend these rights until such time as our union is made legal and permanent."

"Cold showers, then."

"Two to four times a day."

After dinner and some hours later, Harry walked Ginny up to her room and kissed her good night, Then he went on up to Ron's room and lay down on the bed.

_"I love you, Ginny."_ Harry found the love in his heart and poured it down the link they shared. He could feel her joy in his own heart.

_"I love you, too, my Harry."_

_"Can you feel my joy, Ginny, and my love?" _She poured her own love down the link and both felt each others emotions.

_"If this feels so good, sex may not be as good as people have said it is."_

_"If we add it to what we're feeling already I'm sure we'll figure out how to enjoy it."_

_"All right then. Good night."_

_"Good night."_

Harry finished the three year Auror course in eight months, faster and more complete than any candidate since the three year program had begun. He spent all his free time at Hogwarts tutoring and studying with his fiancé. She finished with all O's on her NEWTS and was immediately accepted into a healer program at St. Mungo's. The two were married just before she started her program. They spent a week in Paris for a Honeymoon. She finished her five-year program in just a little over three and a half years with a specialty in children's ailments and accidents.

They had four children, two boys and two girls and adopted three war orphans who had no other family. All the Potters went to Hogwarts and were sorted into Griffindor. They didn't play nearly as many pranks or get as many detentions as previous generations, but they got their share.

Harry spent ten years as an auror. He was Head Auror and head of MLE before he served two terms as Minister for Magic. He was elected MP from Godric's Hollow and served fifteen years. He served as Prime Minister for the last six years. While in the Auror corps, he had finished the requirements for his mastery in Defense against the Dark Arts. In consideration of this educational qualification, he applied to Hogwarts and was accepted as Professor of Defense.

Ginny was head of the children's department at St. Mungo's when Harry started at Hogwarts. Since she had finished a Potions Mastery along with her Healing specialty, she went to Hogwarts as Potions Mistress and Head Healer.

The last time we looked, the population of Hogwarts had more than tripled its wartime numbers and Harry, Ginny and family were living happily ever after.


End file.
